<HTML> 
  <HEAD> 
	 <TITLE>FCC BC: Chinese Language Classes</TITLE> 
  </HEAD> 
  <BODY> 
     <h2 align="center">Chinese Language Classes</h2>

	 <b>Note: If you would like to add your information to this page, please send a note to <a href="mailto:fcc_bc@yahoo.ca">fcc_bc@yahoo.ca</a></b>
	 
	 <h3>Burnaby</h3>
	 <ol>
	 <li>My daughter takes Mandarin classes at Seaforth Chinese 
School.  Seaforth Chinese School is located at 7881 Government St., 
Burnaby.  The contact information is Lianna Mah 604-420-3460/Stella Lo 
604-420-5713
	 <li>For the past three years, on Thursday afternoons, my daughters have
attended Norburn Chinese School at Lochdale Community School in North
Burnaby. The class is geared towards families who speak English at home.
For further info, call the principal, Anne Lee at 604-299-4398.
</ol>
	 
	 <h3>Coquitlam</h3>
	 <ol>
	 <li>My daughter attends Saturday morning Mandarin class in Coquitlam (Gleneagle
Secondary)run by the Chinese Cultural Centre.  They have both Mandarin and
Cantonese classes from preschool through secondary.
</ol>
	 
	 
	 <h3>Vancouver</h3>
	 <ol>
	 <li>Our daughter attends a Mandarin class every
Saturday morning at Vancouver Community College (VCC).  My husband and I
also attend a Mandarin class for adults at the time at VCC. The VCC Chinese School is at the Broadway campus (King Edward). The Chinese school at Vancouver Community College is also fairly
traditional.  Classes are 2.5 hours long and students are tested twice a
term.  I am somewhat uncomfortable with testing 4-5 year olds but in general
it has been a positive experience for our family.  We attend VCC with
another family that has also adopted their daughter from China and it
appears that we are the only Caucasian parents.
	 <li>My daughter and I do the same Saturday morning classes at Langara for children and adults. I'm in level 2 part 1, and my daughter (gr. 1) is in a Mandarin Preschool class. She learns to read traditional characters and pinyin, but does not write characters. There are morning or afternoon classes to choose from.  2.5 hours per class. Contact Langara First Mandarin School: 604-323-5624   mandarin@langara.bc.ca or see the Langara Continuing Education prospectus each term. www.langara.bc.ca  I think there are summer programs too. My daughter also attends an after-school class where she learns to read and write traditional characters. This excellent school is run by Pui Ying Christian Services Society and  held at Trafalgar Elem School in Vancouver. Cantonese on Mondays, Mandarin on Wednesdays, 1.5 hour classes. They offer classes in 11 locations in Vancouver and two in Richmond. They have some one week long half-day camps this summer: Chinese Language and Culture Workshop, Chinese Painting for Children, etc. Office: #103 - 2880 W. 4th Ave. Vancouver, 604-733-3418  www.puiying.org
<p>Don't worry about the term "exams". For Primary children these are little 
one-to-one sessions the teacher holds with each child to ask her to identify
a picture, read a character, or write a character under a picture. It's what
happens during ongoing evaluation in primary school regularly, but it's not
called an exam here because that's not PC in Canada. The teacher merely
assesses if the child has got it, and to what degree. Weekly homework and
class participation help her add other grades to the report card.  I have
found the teachers, (four so far,) kind, fun, encouraging
and genuinely interested in the children's love of learning. They have
encouraged her to do her homework and have praised her efforts. They have
corrected her without her feeling inadequate. They have all translated the
homework instructions for the parents who do not read Chinese, Caucasian-
and Chinese-Canadians alike, and have been pleased by our interest and
support. Songs, crafts and seasonal activities have added to the mix.
Mandarin classes have been a positive experience for us both.</p>
	 <li>My daughter has been taking Mandarin down in Chinatown on Sunday
mornings, for the past 2.5 years.  The Chinese Cultural Centre on Pender
offers both Mandarin and Cantonese on Saturday AM's, PM's and Sunday AM's,
PM's. The Chinese is taught the Chinese way.  Classes are long, 2.5 hours.
They are fairly strict; learning characters, reciting poems and songs.  The
workbooks are excellent as are the teachers. There is about 1 hour of homework
required each week, so far all character practice and memorizing.  They have
tests and exams which are taken seriously.  It is not unheard of to have
children upset because they didn't get 100%.
</ol>
	 
	 <CENTER> 
		<TABLE WIDTH="75%"> 
		  <TR> 
			 <TD WIDTH="120" ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-2"><B><A
				HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top">FCC BC Home</A></B></FONT></TD> 
			 <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top"
				ONMOUSEMOVE='window.status="FCC BC Home"'><IMG SRC="Images/home_logo.gif"
				ALT="FCC BC Home" BORDER="0" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="30" ALIGN="ABSMIDDLE"></A>
				</TD> 
			 <TD WIDTH="121" ALIGN="RIGHT"><FONT SIZE="-2"
				FACE="Arial"><B><A HREF="mailto:fcc_bc@yahoo.ca">Feedback</A></B></FONT></TD>
			 
		  </TR> 
		  <TR> 
			 <TD WIDTH="120" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD> 
			 <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT SIZE="-2"><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Copyright
				&copy; FCC BC</FONT></B></FONT></TD> 
			 <TD WIDTH="121" ALIGN="RIGHT">&nbsp;</TD> 
		  </TR> 
		</TABLE> </CENTER> 
     <p>
	 
	 <CENTER> 
 <FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-2"><B>Last Updated: June 5th, 2004</B></FONT> </CENTER> </p>
 </BODY>
</HTML>
